MDaemon GroupWare, the Exchange Server Alternative

MDaemon GroupWare is an extended version of Alt-N’s popular IMAP/POP3 mail server, MDaemon. MDaemon GroupWare supports integration with all group sharing functions of Microsoft Outlook, the widely used personal information manager and communications tool. A beta release of MDaemon GroupWare is downloadable from http://beta.altn.com/GroupWare/Beta/. Mail list support is available through the beta link at http://www.altn.com/Beta/.

”We believe MDaemon GroupWare is the first complete Windows-based replacement for Exchange Server,” says Arvel Hathcock, Alt-N Chief Executive Officer. ”Outlook is very popular and any competitor to Exchange must support Outlook’s groupware functions. We are doing this with our new email server product.”

Outlook, Exchange and MDaemon

Outlook is popular among users because of its scheduling, emailing and group sharing capabilities. Personal calendaring and email are available to any Outlook user with an account on a POP or IMAP email server. Access to the group sharing functions has in the past required Outlook to be coupled with Microsoft Exchange, the software publisher’s proprietary email service. Exchange Server uses proprietary protocols to communicate with Outlook’s sharing tools.

Although Exchange Server is powerful, many information technology managers say it comes with a high cost-to-benefit ratio, sluggish performance and excessively powerful hardware requirements. Smaller enterprises comment about Exchange Server being overly complicated to operate, requiring specially trained and pricey personnel. To add more costs, the next version of Exchange Server requires an upgrade to a new Microsoft operating system.

Alt-N’s new MDaemon GroupWare addresses the cost, complexity, operating system and sharing issues, according to CEO Hathcock. ”MDaemon itself has received many positive reviews about its easy operation and full features,” he said. ”By adding the Outlook sharing connection, MDaemon GroupWare makes the full set of Outlook features available without the expense and difficulties of Exchange.”

MDaemon GroupWare also runs on enterprise-appropriate hardware using almost any version of Windows, including 98, Me, NT, 2000 and XP.

How It Works

The new GroupWare product uses an integrated plugin on each workstation to gain compatibility with Outlook’s sharing functions. The plugin enables Microsoft Outlook clients to share their folders, calendars, to-do lists, journals and contacts, plus any other Outlook-specific items.

Technically speaking, the plugin tunnels a user’s account data between an Outlook client and shareable server-side IMAP folders for the account. The shareable IMAP folders contain the Outlook proprietary data - such as the journal, calendar, contacts and so on - normally accessible only through Exchange Server. Because the IMAP folders are shareable, other users with accounts on the server can access the proprietary content through their Outlook clients. The account holder assigns folder sharing permissions to other users or groups of users or both.

On the client machines, Outlook stores its account data in PST files, the normal storage format for Outlook data. The MDaemon GroupWare plugin synchronizes the information between the PST file and the shareable IMAP folders.

Economic Sense

On the economic side, the scaling of the annual license fee makes financial sense, even for a business with six employees or less.

The timing of the release of MDaemon GroupWare comes when Microsoft is requiring Exchange Server users to change operating system software. ”The next version of Exchange Server is slated to require an operating system upgrade to .Net Server,” says Alt-N’s Hathcock. ”While we did not necessarily plan it this way, this move by Microsoft gives Alt-N an opportunity to present MDaemon GroupWare as a very cost-effective alternative to Exchange Server. Our product is much easier to administer and runs effectively on modestly-priced hardware and operating systems.”

Assigning Sharing Permissions Through Outlook
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Assigning Sharing Permissions Through Outlook
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